Closing the Response Gap for People Living with Metastatic Cancer
A growing number of people across Europe are living longer – often years longer – with metastatic cancer. Yet healthcare systems and public policies have not kept pace with their changing needs, creating a growing gap between advances in treatment and the care and support available to patients.
Living with the disease presents challenges that extend well beyond medical treatment. Patients often face difficulties accessing specialised care, understanding their diagnosis, maintaining employment and receiving the support they need in their daily lives.
The European Cancer Organisation's new Policy Action Report, Closing the Response Gap for People Living with Metastatic Cancer, sets out practical recommendations to address these challenges and improve the lives of people affected.
The report builds on discussions from an ECO Community 365 Roundtable, held on 5 May 2026, which brought together patient representatives, clinicians, researchers, industry stakeholders and policymakers. Co-chaired by Fatima Cardoso, president of the ABC Global Alliance, and Kathy Oliver, chair of the International Brain Tumour Alliance, the discussions identified opportunities for European and national policymakers to translate growing awareness into concrete policy action at European and national levels.
Three areas for action
At the heart of the report are three interconnected areas requiring greater policy attention:
1. Improving care for people with brain metastases
Strengthen cancer registries to better capture the incidence and prevalence of brain metastases, expand access to clinical trials and specialist treatments, and ensure that supportive and palliative care are integrated earlier into the patient pathway.
2. Improving communication about a metastatic diagnosis
Provide healthcare professionals with appropriate communication training, ensure patients and their families receive clear and accessible information throughout their care, and promote more sensitive language around cancer in clinical settings and public discourse.
3. Addressing the social and legal implications of metastatic cancer
Strengthen employment and disability protections, improve support for informal carers, and ensure that national cancer policies recognise the financial, professional and social challenges of living longer with metastatic cancer.
These recommendations are complemented by proposals to improve access to innovative treatments, strengthen public and academic research, and better reflect patients' experiences and quality of life in healthcare decisions.
Turning recommendations into action
The report calls on European institutions, EU Member States, healthcare systems and other stakeholders to translate these recommendations into meaningful changes in policy and practice.
Through its Survivorship and Quality of Life Network, ECO will continue working with policymakers, healthcare professionals and patient organisations to advance these recommendations and promote a more comprehensive response to metastatic cancer.
As more people live longer with metastatic cancer, Europe must ensure that improvements in treatment are matched by progress in care, quality of life and social protection.
